07 July 2018: Asceticism as a Means!

Today Jesus invites you to go beyond the symbolism of the ritual practices and to get in touch with the message that communicates and live it in our day to day life. John’s disciples approached Jesus with a complaint that his disciples were not fasting. John’s disciples had all the reasons to question the followers of Jesus because their master, John himself was known for his asceticism. And also the religious icons of Jewish society such as Pharisees and scribes etc. were very strict with regard to these ascetical practices. Pharisees made Sabbath day as a show off day to exhibit their practices of piety. They cut a very poor image of themselves on Sabbath day in order to show infront of the others that they abstain from food. Jesus broadened our understanding by giving us a new insight into these practices. Jesus never denied these spiritual practices. He himself fasted for forty days as a preparation for his public ministry. All these ascetical practices should help us to understand our own relationship with the bridegroom who is God himself. Spiritual growth happens when we realize that we are in need of continuous spiritual conversion. Often we tend to think that the other person is in need of conversion. We spend lot of our energy to make the other person better. Jesus invites us to remain as a fresh wine skin that could contain the ever fresh wine, that is Jesus himself.